His fooled cheat

Chapter 7

Waking up in my apartment feels weird.  I’m lying on my bed, my clothes still on, still clutching my purse.  The smell of coffee is overwhelming, but welcome.

“Ginny?”  I call out.

“Yeah, just making some coffee.  You want a cup?”

“Please!  Some Advil would be great with that!”

“Hey, come on in here and get it yourself!  No one told you to order that absinthe!”  I cringe at the memory of my antics the night before.  I had just wanted to have a good time and forget about David for once.  Ginny didn’t ask much about things after I insisted we just enjoy ourselves and I would tell her in the morning.

When I see the look on her face as I walk into the kitchen, I know she’s remembered.

“So, let’s talk about this.” She says, hands on hips.

“About how refreshed you look after a night like last night?”

“Come on!  You know what I mean.”

“OK, fine.  I need to find a way to handle Marie if things go forward with David.”

Ginny sips her coffee thoughtfully, “Hmm, just don’t engage with her.  Also, David needs to stand up to that crazy.”

“I think he’s scared to lose access to Hope.”

“Oh, she wouldn’t keep Hope away.  David’s her personal babysitter.  She spends so much time on committees and out with her new boyfriend, David has Hope most of the time anyway.”

“Then what is his issue?”

“I guess he is so used to have been bullied by her for years.  David needs a serious does of backbone, especially with Jamie as well.  He chooses to ignore a problem instead of take it head on.  He’ll fight to a certain extent and then just quit.”

“I noticed.”

“I don’t know what you two are up to, but I know you need to leave Jamie out of the equation.”

I heed her warning and make a mental note to avoid contact with the other Cleary brother, “Noted!”

“Now, what are you doing for your last weekend in Cape Elizabeth?”  Ginny asks, her smile bright and carefree.

“I need to speak to your brother for one and then see where that leaves me.”

I plan on calling David that afternoon, to see if we can meet.  I’m sure he has a lot to say, but I so do I.

Ginny and I leave for Cape Elizabeth after a quick breakfast and shower.  My Mom has left a note saying she will be home earlier and has booked me for lunch, which isn’t too far away.

We have lunch at the Lobster Man on the harbour.  She is much happier than in previous days, her mood the result of Ken Richards transferring to another school in Portland.

“So, he won’t be back?”

“No.  I’m happy for him and also relieved I won’t have to see him happy,” she laughs as she says this and I know she has a point.  That being the main reason I left all those years ago; I didn’t want to see David happy with Marie.  I sit there, thinking about David and his situation, while my Mom carries on about what she has planned for her summer.

“Did you hear me?”  she asks, tapping her fingers in front of me.

“Oh, sorry Mom.  What did you say?”

“I booked myself on a cruise from Miami to the Caribbean for five days.  Can you believe it?”

“Mom, that’s amazing!  When do you leave?”

“On Monday morning.”

I gasp, “What?”

“Yeah!  Lily, my colleague, she’s coming along.  We’ve decided to bite the bullet and take a trip.”  My Mom is beaming and I feel so happy for her.

“That brings me to my next bit of business; I need you to house sit.”

“Mom, I can’t!  I have my own apartment that’s gathering dust.”

“Yes, but isn’t your roommate back this weekend?”

“Yeah, she is, but that’s not the point.”

She lifts a hand, “I would really appreciate it if you could do this.”

I sigh, “OK.  The commute to Portland isn’t too bad, so I’ll stay, but I have to go and get some things at the apartment and Leah wants to see me when she gets back.”

“Great!  Thanks, honey.”

We spend the rest of our meal speaking about her trip and what I have been up to.  I leave out all the David bits and focus on everything else.

As we leave the restaurant, I see David and Hope coming towards us.  My heart immediately picks up beat and my palms start to feel clammy.

“Oh look!”  my Mom practically yells, “Its David and his daughter.”

“I know.”  I say between clenched teeth, but just as soon do I remember my promise to myself.

He stops right in front of us, a knowing smile on his face, “Holly, Mrs Forbes.”

Hope is smiling at me, her eyes squinted as she shields them from the sun, “Hi Holly!”

“Hi Hope.  Running errands with your Dad?”

“Yeah, but we’re taking a break.”

“I see.  Lunch?”

“Uh-huh.  Wanna join us?  Dad said you two are friends.  I think you’re his only girl friend.”

“Oh, really?  That’s kind of silly!  Girls are so much more fun than boys.  Don’t ya think so?”

She giggles and it’s infectious!  I forget that she isn’t really his as her demeanour is more David than Marie.

David is smiling when I look up at him, “Yeah, join us.  We have lots to talk about I think.”

My Mom is grinning and nudging me in the ribs, “Uh, I just had lunch with Mom, but I could use something cool to drink.”

“Let’s go.”  David says and he extends a hand, which catches me totally off guard.  I reach out and place my hand in his, also checking Hope’s reaction.  She is giggling behind her hands and it’s a relief in this instance.

I sit opposite David and Hope, who then gets up and seats herself next to me.  Not sure how to act around her, I leave any awkward questions for David to field, as I wouldn’t know most of the answers myself.

“So,”  she begins, as if on cue, “how long do you know my Dad?”

“Uh, since I was about thirteen.  Not much older than you.”

“OK.”  And she carries on drinking her soda.  I look across at David, who is making a meal of it.

“Do you like horses?”  the question comes as a surprise and I see David laugh quietly.

“I do, but I have always been partial to those ponies at McGraw Farm.”

She glances at me from the corners of her eyes, “Yeah, they’re great.  Dad said we could go tomorrow.  Do you want to come?”

“Uh, I can’t.  I’m going home tomorrow, but I would love to join you some time soon.”

Her look of disappointment soon changes into her dazzling little smile.

David uses her quiet moment as an opportunity to lean over, “You’re going home?”

“Yeah, just for the day.  I’m back on Sunday.”

“We need to talk about last night.”

I motion with my eyes to Hope and he lifts a finger, letting me know to hang on, “Hey, kiddo, did ya see who’s here?” and he points to a nearby table.

“Oh gosh, Dad, can I go and say hi?”  He is pointing to a table where a family is sitting with their little girl about Hope’s age.

“Sure, why don’t you ask Cassie’s parents if you guys can share the table next to us over here?”

“Really?”

“Sure.”

“You didn’t need to do that.” I say, feeling horrible he’s sent Hope off.

 “Its OK.  Hope would have spotted her friend within minutes anyway and then begged to join them.”

“So, what are we talking about?”

“Last night for one.  I feel I need to explain further to you.”

“You met with your ex, who is very handsy, about the adoption.”  I plan on taking a tough stance on the Marie subject because I want David to start taking a firmer grasp on the situation with her too.

“There is nothing left between us, I can assure you.  She gets a little catty and it can be an issue, but I am prepared to fight for you this time and will defend whatever this is to anyone who questions it.”

I’m taken aback by his decision to stand up for us, whatever us is right now.

“You’re sure?  You’re not going to change your mind?”

“So long as you don’t run for the hills each time things get a bit tough.  I told you about the adoption and obviously, Marie has to clear it formally with Hope’s biological father, even though he isn’t remotely interested.”

“You’re scared there’ll be issues though?”

“Yeah, but right now, don’t worry about anything.  I’ve told her that I have started dating and she can’t treat you the way she does.”

I snort, “Ha!  You really think she’ll let me be around Hope?”

“Well, she is barely around Hope lately.”

“And her parents, the Harpers.  Do they see Hope?”

He shakes his head, “Not too much.  She still lives in that house, you know, but Mrs Harper’s moved back to New York and Mr Harper is hardly home.”

There is a pregnant silence between us and I know he has more to say to me, as do I to him.  So, I swallow my pride and go ahead.

“I won’t lie to you David, I’m scared of being hurt.  You can’t string me along either.”

“Were you listening when I said I’ve started dating?  Also, were you not present when I held your hand all the way here?”

I sigh, “Yes, I was, but you can’t just decide these things.  Would be nice if you told me first, especially being caught off guard and not knowing if Hope knows or not.”

“I spoke to Hope yesterday afternoon already.  I told her I had a special friend and she would probably meet you soon.”  David says this so smugly, I want to wipe the smirk off his gorgeous face.

“Hmm.  Well, Daddy needs to woo this special friend.”

“Hold on, did you just say woo?”  he laughs.

“Yes, I said woo.  Look it up.”

Its my turn to smirk now.  I watch in satisfaction as he runs his hands over his face and smiles at me, “Holly Forbes, if wooing is what you want, wooing is what you’ll get.”

“I’ll hold you to it, Cleary.”  I clink my lemonade glass against his.

“Just make sure that you steer clear of Jamie while I do all the wooing, please.”

I cringe, “Yeah, that.  I’m sorry.  Too much of RiRa’s pints and your brother isn’t one to miss an opportunity.”

“Yeah, so let’s call it.  Holly Forbes, may I call on you this evening?”  He is so serious when he says this, I am almost in stitches, but recover quickly as he grabs my hand across the table.

“Yes, David Cleary, you may.”

“Do you need me to ask your Mom’s permission too?”

“Just mine is good, thanks.”

I leave David and Hope to their lunch and head to my Mom’s to get ready for whatever David has planned.  My Mom of course, cannot hide her elation to the point of annoying, when I tell her that I have plans with David again.

“I knew it!”  she beams.  “You’re a sneaky one, Holly.”  She says, pointing her finger at me.

“Well, more private than sneaky, I like to think.”

Not knowing where we’ll be going, I dress in skinny jeans and a white shirt, with flat shoes.  Suddenly feeling nervous, I join my Mom for a glass of white wine on the patio.

“He really likes you, you know.”  My Mom says knowingly.

“How do you know that?”

“The way he looks at you and the smile on his face when Hope showed her approval.  It means a lot to him that you two get along.”

I smile, “She’s like a mini-David.  Its hard not believe that she isn’t really his.”

“It’ll be a lot to take on.  Don’t let it overwhelm you though.  You’re a good person and you’re strong.”  She smiles up at me, “You’re so much like your Dad, strength and humility, even though you’re so beautiful.”

“Mom, thank you.”  I hug her and then tease, “Did you just have that one glass?”

“Eurgh!  Definitely your Dad’s kid!”

We’re disturbed by the doorbell and then a knock.  My Mom looks at me and shrieks, “Eeeek!”

I try not to turn sorts of red and get really excited, getting up to answer the door.  David is gorgeous in jeans and a white t-shirt with a thin grey cardigan.    He pulls a bunch of tulips out from behind his back, “I hope you still like these.”

My heart feels like it skips a beat, “Yeah, I love them.  Come inside, while I put these in water.”

“Thanks.  Your Mom home?”

“Yeah, out back.”

Before I turn around, he is out on the patio and they’re laughing at something or the other.  I go out to find my Mom and David sitting next to each other and her doing her flirty laugh she used on Ken.

“Mom!”  I admonish her, slightly embarrassed.

“Sorry, David was just telling me the funniest story.”  She apologises.

Frankly, I am dying to know what David has planned and couldn’t be bothered with the niceties at this point.

“Holly, why don’t you get a sweater?”

“Why, are we going to be out late?”

“That’s up to you.  Mrs Forbes, you don’t mind her sneaking in after curfew do you?”  he teases.

“Never, when its with you of course!”

David is being the perfect date, opening doors and asking if I am OK, I can’t help, but laugh when we are in his car, driving off to this secret spot.

“What?”  he asks, looking utterly confused.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m wooing you.”  He says simply.

“This is how it’s done?”  I ask cynically.

“I thought you knew.  God, please tell me you know because I have no idea!”  he laughs.

“I don’t think I’ve been wooed before.”  I say, trying to sound light hearted.

“OK, could we stop saying woo?”  he laughs too.

“OK, we can.”

We both laugh and then the silence again.

“I’m sorry.”  He says quietly, “I want to make up for everything I’ve ever done to hurt you and I need to make sure its perfect.”

I touch his free hand, “David.  Just be yourself.  I’m sure anything you do will be perfect.”

I really wish he weren’t driving right then, so I could reach over and kiss him.  He looks at me and as if thinking the same thing, stops the car on the side of the beach road we’re on.

Suddenly feeling shy and then realising that he’s recently seen all of me, my heart calms its crazy thumping in my throat.  The way is looking at me alone, drives me crazy.  His eyes are hooded and dark, his mouth parted slightly.  He doesn’t wait long to reach over and pull me towards him.  Its gentle, but firm.  His hands find their way into my hair and within seconds of heavy breaths and a nervous smile, our lips meet in a heated exchange.  His mouth tastes sweet and his tongue is hot.  He bites on my lip and it nearly sends me over the edge.  I move both legs astride him and place my hands on either side of his face.  We break for a few seconds to look at one another and the excitement of being with him again, drives me to the point of losing my inhibitions.  I lean forward and claim his mouth again, our kisses become more earnest and desperate.

I can feel him growing beneath me.  Its like it sends an immediate message to my n*****s, to strain against my shirt, they lace material of my bra, not able to contain them from showing through.

Its as if we are trying to make up for years lost and I don’t mind.  His hands have travelled to my lower back, under my shirt.  His fingers are stroking and gently pressing into my flesh.  I gasp as he brings his hands forward and unbuttons the top four buttons of my shirt effortlessly and quickly, his eyes glancing up at me.   I look down, as he pulls the flesh-coloured lace over my breasts and takes a n****e into his mouth.  The touch of his tongue is enough to make me moan out loud and I feel him smile against my breast.

Our moment is lost when oncoming lights glare into the car.  Shielding my eyes, I lean my head forward and thank the good Lord its already dark out.

“I guess we’d better get moving, huh?”  he asks, reluctant for me to get off of him.

“I guess.”  I smile at him.  He buttons up my shirt and kisses me softly on the lips, “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to take it that far so soon again.”

“Its fine David.  Its difficult to restrain myself too.”

“I can’t lie to you, its going to be hard to resist.”

“You’ll live.”  I smile at him.

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about you.  I meant me.  I’m quite a specimen of a man, you see.”

I punch him playfully on the arm and he laughs, “Kidding!”

“Just drive, Cleary.”

We end up at Inn by the Sea.  David looks at me questioningly, “You don’t seem impressed.”

“The Inn?”  thinking he has been planning to get me into a room all night.

“No, nothing like what you’re probably thinking.  I’ve booked us a dinner, but its kind of different.”

He takes me by the hand and leads me to the restaurant just off the inn lobby.  He speaks with the maître d who nods profusely and comes towards me.

“Miss Forbes, Mr Cleary; if you’ll follow me please.”

He takes us away from the restaurant and out onto the deck of the Inn.  There is a big white basket at the door which he hands to David and motions out towards the beach.

“David, what’s going on?  You’re not planning to kill me out there are you?”  I tease, but really confused.

“Now, do me a favour and don’t ask any more questions.  Just follow me.”  He takes my hand and leads me down the boardwalk towards the beach.  The evening is perfect.  No wind and the air is scented with the smell of sea salt and honeysuckle.

Crescent Beach appears just ahead and the water is calm.  Just to the right of the end of the boardwalk are the benches put up during the summer months.  One is decked out in a tablecloth with champagne on ice and little Moroccan tea light holders.  I smile at the sight and turn to find David looking at me, he is smiling, but seems wracked with nerves at the same time.

“Well?”

“You’ve done good, Cleary.”  I say and stand on my tip toes to place a kiss on his cheek.

“We have the section all to ourselves for the evening.”

“You booked this entire part of the beach just for us?”

He just nods.

“Thank you.”  I say shyly.

“I just want to give you the experiences I was meant to give you.”

I have no response, except to kiss him again.

We spend the evening laughing and reminiscing, not mentioning anything about senior year.  What is the point of rehashing each time if it keeps us from moving forward?

Our picnic basket is filled with a range of seafood canapés and chocolate mousse cake for dessert.  We eat absolutely everything, David insisting he hasn’t seen a woman as hungry as me since well, me.  The slap on the back of his head is well deserved.  We kid around like this most of the evening until he becomes serious while we are sipping on the last bit of champagne.

“Holly?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think you could do this with me?”

“Yeah, I was serious when I told you I could.  Why do you ask?”

“Well, because I like having you around.  I think you like having me around too.”  He laughs at the last bit, “And I think things are probably going to get serious between us, well, if you want it to, that is and I just need to know if you’ll have me as is.”

I place a hand on his cheek, “David, I told you, I’m all in. I don’t care what anyone has to say.  Second chances being my new thing.”

“I’ve been such an ass and I don’t think I’ll ever stop making up for it with you.”

“You don’t have to, but I admit, I do like it.”